The Enigma of Chitterpari

Chapter 7 - "Navigating the Labyrinth"

The four friends gathered under the sheltering branches of an ancient oak tree. The air around them felt thick with anticipation, like the calm before a storm. Beneath the protective canopy, they exchanged glances, each one harbouring a mix of excitement and unease as they waited for Ali.Hamza knelt on the ground, meticulously arranging the contents of a first aid kit, his brow furrowed in concentration. The quiet rustling of gauze pads and antiseptic wipes filled the air, contrasting with the distant chirping of crickets.
"We need to be prepared for anything," he muttered, the words almost swallowed by the wind. "Cuts, bruises, sprains we can't afford to be careless." Daniyal, sitting nearby, coiled a length of sturdy rope, testing the knots with the precision of someone who had done this many times before. "All set," he said, his voice low but steady. He glanced at the rusted door in the distance. "This might come in handy if we need to climb or... get out of whatever mess we find ourselves in." Abdullah, who had unconsciously taken the role of the group's leader, packed three baseball bats and two knives into his bag. His movements were deliberate, sensing the questioning looks from his friends, he offered a small, dry smile. "Just in case," he said. "We don't know what we're dealing with. Better safe than sorry."
Abbas, crouched behind his handheld camera, was capturing every moment. His fingers danced over the buttons, adjusting the focus as he pointed the lens at Hamza's careful preparations. "Check, one, two, three," Abbas grinned into the camera, his voice full of mock seriousness. He zoomed in on Daniyal, who was now tugging at the knots one last time. "This is going to be epic, guys ! I am gonna make a documentary out of this 'The secret behind the door !' "
Hamza chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "Yeah, or they'll see how insane we were." He shoved the bandages into his pack, tying it shut. "Can't wait to see the headlines: 'Four idiots get lost in creepy place.'"
Abdullah, seemingly relaxed for a moment, began humming a tune while adjusting the straps of his bag.
Hamza glanced up, his eyebrows raised. "What are you humming?"
Abdullah paused, a small smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "It's a song from this rock band I'm into. They're called Kashmir."
Hamza's face lit up with recognition. "Kashmir? Yeah, I've heard of them. They have that song... what's it called? 'Dream'?"
"Khawab, to be exact" Abdullah corrected, nodding. "Yeah, that's one of their best. But have you heard of 'Shadow' (Saaya)? Or 'I Am a Moth'(Parwana hun)?"
Hamza laughed, leaning back against the tree trunk. "Man, I didn't know you were that deep into their stuff, they are good tho I like their songs."
"Yeah right," Abdullah nodded in agreement.
Hamza smirked. "Some of their tracks hit hard. Especially when you're sitting alone in your room."
Abbas waved the camera towards Abdullah and Hamza. "Great, now the world knows you two are secretly into emotional rock."
"Very hardcore!"
Daniyal looked over at Abbas, who was still focused on filming. "You better not miss any of the action, Abbas. If we're going down there, I want proof that we did it."
Abbas lowered the camera for a moment, giving Daniyal a mocking salute. "Don't worry, I'll capture every heroic and probably stupid moment of you."

Just as they chuckled, Ali appeared from the tree behind them, a backpack slung over his shoulder. His silhouette cut through the fading light as he made his way toward the group. "Sorry, guys," he called out.
Abbas pointed the camera at him as he approached. "And there he is the man of the hour. What kept you so long? You know we're all dying of anticipation over here."
"Had to grab some flashlights. Figured we'd need them once we're inside." Ali gave a half-smile, pulling out the flashlights from his pack. Abdullah, slinging his bag over his shoulder and glancing around at his friends. The lightheartedness of their earlier conversation slowly faded as the looming task ahead settled over them like a thick fog. "Alright, team," he said, voice steady but firm.
"Let's go find out what's behind that door."

The group made their way back toward the door, their footsteps heavy and deliberate, as if the ground beneath them was alive and reluctant to let them pass. Each step sent a faint tremor up their legs, stirring unease. The abandoned, rusted door loomed ahead as the setting sun cast a dying, amber light across the scene, making the decaying door almost appear to breathe. Abdullah slowed his pace, his gaze locked on the door which was closed. "Wasn't it open when we left?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Ali glanced over. "I thought so too... but maybe the wind or something," he shrugged, though his eyes betrayed the same uncertainty gnawing at all of them.
Abbas, standing a step ahead of the group, remained silent, his jaw set in a firm line. He held out his handheld recorder to Abdullah without turning his head. "Make sure we capture everything this time. No mistakes."
Taking the recorder, Abdullah met his younger brother's gaze. "I've got it. But you should be careful."
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Abbas's mouth, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Careful? Always am." But his voice carried the weight of someone who understood they were well beyond caution then  a smirk crept onto his face as he muttered under his breath, "Here I come, my pizza."
With a slow exhale, Abbas stepped forward and placed both hands on the door. The cool, rough surface sent a shiver up his spine. He paused for a heartbeat, his fingers curling slightly, as if testing the door's resolve. Then, with a push, it groaned open, the rusted hinges letting out a long, haunting wail that echoed through the emptiness beyond.
"That... was too easy," Abbas whispered under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the smoothness with which the door had moved.
Ali clicked on his flashlight, the beam slicing through the darkness that swallowed the corridor. Dust particles floating lazily in the air, illuminated by the sharp light. The shadows seemed alive, writhing against the stone walls. The beam settled on a stairway that spiralled downward, disappearing into a black abyss.
Hamza, standing in the back, stared into the dark. "Feels like we're walking straight into someone else's story," he muttered.
Abbas didn't look back as he stepped into the threshold, but his voice came out firm. "Maybe. But tonight, it's ours." Daniyasl's eyes scanned the dark ahead, ready for anything. Nearby, Hamza fidgeted with the straps of his backpack, making sure everything was secure and within reach like a soldier preparing for battle. Abdullah, holding the camera steady, captured all the flicker of nervous smiles, the darting glances, the tense silence that hung between them. "Alright, everyone. Let's move," he said, his voice low but commanding.
They moved forward as one, crossing the threshold into the unknown. The air shifted immediately, cooler and damp, clinging to their skin with the faint scent of moss and decay. The flashlight beams swung across the walls, casting flickering shadows that made the stone walls seem alive. A staircase spiralled downward, leading them into a corridor that stretched on and on, swallowed by the darkness. "Take this back," Abdullah muttered, passing the recorder to Abbas without looking away from the path ahead. Abbas took it, his hand brushing his brother's in a brief moment of shared understanding before he continued recording, his grip tightening on the device.